Jack Pechter was five years old and living with his parents and three sisters in eastern Poland when the Nazis invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Because of his father's foresight and his mother's support and courage, Jack and his sisters, led by their parents, began a five-year journey through eastern Europe and Russia to evade the Nazis. His father, Max, was one of the first of the Polish Jews to realize the murderous intent of the Nazis, saying "When a fire is burning, you run." His mother, Sarah, kept the family strengthened with her consoling message throughout the war: "Tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow will be better." When Jack arrived in America in 1949 with his family, he had to begin life anew. But he quickly embraced the opportunities he found. He eventually enrolled in the University of Maryland, served in the army for a two-year stint, soon met and married his wife Marilyn, and in 1958 found his career when he became a salesman in a real estate company. Jack eventually went out on his own, getting a loan to construct townhomes and joining with a partner who had a background in real estate development. With his success in that first development, he was soon building townhome communities throughout Maryland. Other projects followed. What also followed was "doing for others," as his mother often told him was the secret for happiness.